Shadow Slave

Just like after the First Nightmare, Sunny suddenly sensed something waking up within him. Back then, it felt as though this new power came from inside his soul as opposed to some external source. This time the feeling was very similar, only more intense, more defined.

It was coming from his Shadow Cores.

They were radiating an ethereal, but almost palpable heat. The energy was circulating through his entire body, changing it, making it stronger. It was somewhat similar to the strange feeling he got every time he received a shadow fragment, but so much more powerful.

…A thousand times more powerful.

And deeper, too.

With a barely audible gasp, Sunny slowly sat down and crossed his legs, then closed his eyes, concentrating on the transformation.

Every fiber of his being was soon full of the mysterious energy. The familiar euphoric feeling overwhelmed him, washing over his mind like a warm wave. However, Sunny wanted to feel more, understand more. He wanted to remember this moment in every detail.

It was his triumph, after all.

Beneath the physical changes that his body was undergoing to become better, stronger, more perfect… was another, subtle, but equally incredible change.

It was happening to his soul.

Sunny had no words to describe it, but knew that he had never experienced anything as wonderful. The transformation of his soul was not at all painful, like the creation of the second Shadow Core had been, and not nearly as torturous as the agony that consuming a drop of divine blood had caused him.

It felt… natural, right, and profound. As though he was coming one step closer to becoming complete, to what he had always been meant to be.

A better being.

Soon, the pulsating waves of heat retreated, replaced by a wave of soothing coldness. The dull ache in his heart that had remained there, unnoticed, ever since leaving the Forgotten Shore lessened a little. His mind became calm and tranquil.

Sunny felt like... like a sword that had been tempered and fortified in a fiery crucible, a being made of cold, pure, resilient steel.

He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.

His body felt stronger, faster, and more enduring, similar to how he felt when wrapped in the shadow. The change was sufficiently pronounced, and he knew that it would only grow greater if he used one or both of the shadows to actually augment him.

it wasn't

the actual quality that separated Awakened from the Dreamers was not physical might, but a new innate ability. Just like Dreamers gained the ability

and feeling were two

Core. The feeling was elusive and ethereal, but unmistakable. He felt its emptiness at the start of his journey, and felt it brimming with power near the

power wasn't contained inside the Shadow Cores anymore, but broke free, flowing naturally through his entire body. It circulated slowly, coming and going from the cores, passively

it in a certain area. He could expend some amount of essence to give his arms incredible, explosive strength for a short

and would be all the time, crashing through walls and breaking delicate things by accident. Instead, by wisely controlling his shadow essence, he would be able to gift himself short bursts of truly inhuman physical might. The rest of the time, he would enjoy a much smaller, but still considerable passive effect of his body being saturated with

'More training…'

more efficiently, he would have to learn from experienced Awakened. Some instructors at the Academy existed for the sole purpose of teaching newly Awakened

a whole another layer of combat

and tools. But battles of the Awakened were much more tactical. While essence always restored itself to the core's maximum capacity,

fragments as possible to increase the capacity of his cores. Luckily, he now had two of them, which already gave him a big advantage over the

received was not the end

spoke again, filling him

[Awakening Aspect Ability…]

[...Aspect Ability acquired.]

Name:

then hurriedly summoned

Name: Sunless.

Name: Lost from

Rank: Awakened.

Class: Monster.

Shadow Cores: [2/7].

Shadow Fragments: [0/2000].

expected, both of his cores were not Dormant anymore, instead becoming Awakened. The shadow fragments were consumed to fuel the

fragments, gone just like

disappointed, though. The amount of essence consumed during the Awakening directly corresponded to the starting capacity of the core, and thus, the extent of the

received a second one, but also made sure to gain the best benefits a Sleeper could dream of. Very

little bit of power counted in a

'Enough stalling!'

thoughts of cores and shadow fragments and found

Aspect Ability: [Shadow Step].